photoshop contrast masking

Contrast masking — a traditional "wet" darkroom technique used to help bring the contrast range of an image(black and white) it can be used to reign in burned-out highlights and also to open up shadows. It can also do both at once, or just one or the other.

This is helpful kung yung background ng image mo ay plain color. like a photo taken from a studio na may isang kulay lang ang background.

this tecnique is not only useful sa pag hihiwalay ng object sa backround using photoshop kundi pwede din nitong makuha ang shadow ng object by applying these methods:

1. desaturating the image
2. inverting the image.
3. applying levels or curves

just remember: (two colors lang dito, black and white)
in these method, remeber this:

"black conceals white reveals"

lahat ng itim(hidden)lahat ng puti(visible)

lets take this example:

this image is taken from a studio:

kung mapapansin nyo..almost plain white ang background.
at mapapansin nyo na may shadow ang babae.

i want to extract the image and separate the object from the background.there are lots of ways para ma cut ang image, u can use magnetic tool, lasso tool, quick selection tool, magic wand tool, color range or the pen tool etc.

suppose i cut it like this ng madalian lang using the combination of quick selection tool and magic wand. after ko macomplete na ma select, i just press CTRL + J to duplicate the selection at kung mapapansin nyo, nawla ung isang paa, at nawala din ung shadow,but this is ok, marerepair natin yan using the contrast masking technique.


ngayon kuha tayo ng ibang background katulad nito:



medyo related din ang background sa image.thats good.

ngaun ilagay natin ung na cut na image at ung original image mismo(magkasama dapat ito..e link nyo na lang ang dalawa para no need to select lahat,kapag naka link sa isat isa, kahit alin sa isa na sinelect mo, maseselect din ung isa).. patong natin sya sa background...medyo ang image ng bababe may kalakihan sa background, use the scale na lang para paliitin ang image ng bababe,:katulad nito



as you can see magkasama pa din ung original image at cut image.
now e hide mo muna ung na cut na image(by clicking the eye icon sa left side ng layer nito) and select the original image ng babae.

now we will do the the contrast masking.

be sure na selected na ung original image ng babae.then in your keyboard, press CTRL + SHIFT + U (this is the keyboard shortcut for desaturating an image)
next is to press the CTRL + I(to invert the selection)lalabas ang resulta ng image na parang negative film.

now the last step, step 3; press the CTRL + L( to enter into levels), scroll the left arrow papuntang kanan para maging black lahat ang background but be careful na ung shadow ng babae ay dapat di maging black. dapat puti kasi nga black conceals and white reveals. we need the shadow, remember..

dapat similar sa ganito resulta nyo after nyo ma applayan ng Levels;



as you can see sa image above..black lahat ng background at puti ang shadow at ung bababe.


now, kapag ganyan na..
we need to set the blending mode of this layer sa MULTIPLY.(this is important)
next need to show ung na cut image by just clicking again the eye icon para maging visible ulit.

now kung may makikita kayong mga edges sa image ng babae after ma set nyo sa MULTIPLY. just use the erase tool with soft brush para madelete un or applyan nyo ng masking ang image then use the brush tool with black foreground color..

mapapansin nyo sa image na realistic ung apperanace ng image na parang dun lang kinunan ng litrato ung bababe pero in reality.. edited lang xa..

eto final result,,, tweak ko lang ng konti ang color ng background para kahit papaano mag match ang kulay nila.



experiment lang...and learn photoshop.